Hashtag Authentic - for creatives, entrepreneurs & dreamers online: Recent Episodes

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In this episode I’m chatting with my longtime friend Laura Pashby ( Small Stories with Laura Pashby) - an author, photographer, and creative, who you might also know online as Circle of Pines. Laura shares her journey from a craft blog in 2010 to becoming a published author, and how building an online audience helped her leverage opportunities like brand work, teaching courses, and ultimately, writing her wonderful books.

Things we talk about:

• Instagram Then vs. Now• Working through ‘platform fatigue’• Maintaining authenticity online• Migrating an audience from one platform to another - or from online to offline• The discipline of a weekly creative writing practice• Prioritising meaningful engagement over viral reach• Charging for your writing, and how Laura built confidence in this

Links for this episode:

Co-writing hour with me this Friday, 2nd May at 11:30am BSTMy Substack Soireeclass - enrolling now!Hashtag Authentic Podcast on SubstackLaura’s Substack, Small StoriesLaura’s InstagramLaura’s books, Little Stories of Your Lifeand Chasing FogLaura’s website*Thanks for listening!

* Connotes affiliate links, where I receive a small commission if a purchase is made.

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This week, I talked with author/photographer/YouTuber/knitwear designer Veronika ‘Kika’ Lindberg about her fluid and inspiring journey to success online, and how she’s evolved her work along the way. Kika’s open-minded and playful approach is so inspiring to me, and I’ve found myself returning to this conversation in my mind so much since we recorded it.I hope you love hearing from her too!

Things we talk about in this episode:

• Getting started on Instagram, and how it has changed

• Growing a YouTube audience, and how to make video

• Why Kika doesn’t use Reels or YouTube shorts very much (and why this is ok!)

• Pivoting your focus and work, and letting your audience evolve with you

• Changing path, and dealing with disappointment when things don’t go as planned

• The loneliness and challenges of having to run a creative business by yourself

• Getting a publishing deal, and the process of writing and sharing knitting patterns

• The different revenue streams in Kika’s business

• Running a business while caring for a baby

• Establishing your expertise with your audience

• Going with the creative flow in business and in life

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Links for this episode:

• Kika’s Instagram, @Kutovakika

• Kika’s YouTube

• Kika’s website

• Kika’s Ravelry

• Knit Thisbook

• Knits to Wear book

• My online classes

• My Instagram, @me_and_orla

• Substack page for this episode - come and leave a comment!

Thanks for listening!

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This week, I’m chatting to Dr Anita Goraya from ADHD Wellness & Wisdom , GP-turned Psychotherapist who specialises in helping people with ADHD. Both Anita and I have diagnoses of ADHD, so this is a topic close to our hearts, and I hope this warm and compassionate conversation will be helpful whether you’re neuro-diverse, awaiting a diagnosis or just interested to know more!

Things we talk about in this episode:

• Being diagnosed with ADHD later in life

• The neuro-developmental nature of ADHD, its hereditary aspects, and some of the common misconceptions people might have

• Anita’s transition from GP to therapist, and her own diagnosis process

• The importance of self-acceptance, leveraging strengths, and scaffolding weaknesses

• Practical strategies for managing ADHD symptoms, such as mindfulness, problem-solving, and making use of tools and resources

• The emotional impact of ADHD, the potential for neuro-plasticity, and the importance of seeking formal diagnoses and support.

Links we mention in this episode:

• Anita’s Substack ADHD Wellness & Wisdom

• Anita’s website

• Goblin to-do list tool

• My Festive Marketing Guide & Planner

• My coaching page, where you can book now for 50% extra coaching

• Book a Discovery Call with me

• My Me & Orla Christmas Cards

• My new 2025 M&O photo calendar

Thanks for listening and following along!

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This week, I’m chatting to my friend Sarahbeth Larrimore, the wonder-woman behind Unabashed Apparel. The mantra for her work says it all: “Empowering women to design & sew. Our bodies are worthy of our finest frocks, just as they are.” Um, yes please!Sarahbeth and I had a juicy conversation about personal style and the benefits of sewing for self-expression, creativity and body acceptance. I know next to nothing about sewing, but by the end of this episode Sarahbeth had me completely convinced I should start stitching my own wardrobe - and I bet you’ll feel the same!

Things we talk about in this episode:

• How sewing and clothing design can be empowering in unexpected ways

• Sarahbeth’s Queen Robe Project (enrolling now!), and how anyone can learn to sew

• The differences between historical garments and modern made clothes

• How clothes impact our body image and self worth

• The role of sewing and mending for sustainability and customisation

• My collection of vintage French under-dresses, and my upcoming collection of them for sale

• The stories our clothes can tell about us as they age and change

Links we mention in this episode:

• Sarahbeth’s Instagram

• Sarahbeth’s Queen Robe Project (enrolling now!)

• Sarahbeth’s post on mending, and sustainable fashion

• Sarahbeth’s Website, Unabashed Apparel

• Sarahbeth’s Substack

• My upcoming collection of vintage French nightdresses

• My coaching page, where you can book now for January availability

Thanks for listening and following along!

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This is a republished episode from

In today’s episode we dive into listener questions all about Instagram - from building engagement up, feeling hopeful and excited about the platform again, coming back after a long break, adapting to creating more video content, whether to use hashtags anymore and lots more.

Join Sara for her Instagram Summer School Class starts on Monday, the 29th, so you need to be quick.

Would you love some encouragement and support in your business? Submit your letter for an upcoming episode here.

More from Sara

More from Jen

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I first met through my class, The Insta Retreat, quite a few years ago, and we’ve worked together ever since. Sarah is a mental health nurse and CBT therapist with over 10 years of experience in private practice. Through her mentoring and coaching services, she supports other therapists in setting up and growing their private practices. Sarah struggled with the lack of a business plan and structure in her private practice, leading to dissatisfaction and confusion, and wanted to help others so they don’t have to feel the same way.

Her book, A Therapist’s Guide to Private Practice: Building a Values-based Business, is out this week (Happy publication week, Sarah 🥳), so it seemed the perfect time to ask her on the podcast to hear about it and how she supports therapists.

Things we talk about in this episode:

• Challenges of setting up a private practice for therapists and coaches

• Identifying values in business and personal life

• Marketing strategies for private practice therapists

• The benefits of niching for mental health professionals

• Using Substack for email marketing and membership platforms

• Using Substack for therapists to build communities and generate income

• Therapist social media presence and boundaries

• Mental health services demand, therapy training and book launch.

Links we mention in this episode:

• Sarah’s book

• Sarah’s website, Instagram and Substack group for therapists

• My Instagram Summer School

The Instagram Summer School

Instagram Summer School is my new 4-week refresher and revive-r for your instagram mojo! The whole of my bestselling Instagram Masterclass, The Insta Retreat, but condensed into 4 weekly highlight reels to get you straight to the good bits and set to work! With daily challenges, free templates, planners and guides, plus weekly AMA (ask me anything) calls with me, and mindset coaching calls with , this is your sun-filled, breezy vacation from all the Insta drama! Check out all the details by clicking here ⬇️

PS. If you have done The Insta Retreat before, look out for emails about how to take part

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I first met deep-dive master coach Katie Pulsifer when she was my instructor for certification at The Life Coach School. I recall being pretty intimidated. I’ve never been sky-diving or tried a bungee jump, but I’m pretty sure the adrenaline rush is comparable to coaching in front of Katie for immediate feedback in front of a group. 🪂

Katie’s recently gone solo, after many years working for a large coaching school, and as we caught up over Zoom I was struck by how her open, beginner’s mindset to social media is bringing so much ease and fun to her work. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all recapture a little bit of that early magic when we’re showing up on the internet?I asked Katie to come on the podcast to tell us more.

Things we talk about in this episode:

• How Katie found her niche and why it resonates with her deeply

• Building a values-led business, and being ok with not doing things like everybody else

• The mindset shift and learning curve in switching from employee to entrepreneur

• Using Instagram, Facebook, newsletters and Substack to grow an audience in 2024

• The evolution of coaching techniques, including the self-coaching model, and how Katie adapts them to best serve her clients

• The importance of trusting the process, being present, and allowing growth to unfold naturally

Links we mention in this episode:

Katie’s upcoming Mind at Ease masterclassKatie’s website, Facebook and InstagramThe Self Coaching ModelBev Aron’s Deep Dive Coaching Certification

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I’m sharing something a little different today… the results of my ‘podcast affair’ with my Aussie bestie, the gorgeous Ms . Bonded over our love of storytelling and creativity, Keeley and I and came together to create - a gathering of resources, classes and a shiny new podcast, in the hope of passing some of that passion along.I chose this very first episode to share here with you on Hashtag Authentic because I really think the fundamentals we talk through - which we’re jokingly calling our ‘commandments’ - are applicable to every and any platform out there online.

So, whether you’re Substack-curious, have no intention of ever joining Substack or are a self-confessed Substa-holic, I hope this episode can offer you support, strength and encouragement for showing your creative side online.If you want to hear more from me and Keeley, be sure to Subscribe to and to the SSS podcast in your favourite podcast app.

PS - Our special Winter Substack class is now enrolling, until Monday November 27th! Check out all the details on how you can join us here.

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This week I talk to Katie Leamon, who turned her love of paper and pattern into her eponymous family-run stationery studio. Her notebooks have been a daily companion to me for many years, so it was really fun to chat with her about her designs, her process and the realities behind running a product-lead business with the family on board!

Things we talk about:

• Building from a home studio to printing and selling at scale

• Designing products based on creative instinct

• The rise of independent stationery makers and designers online

• Selling wholesale vs. direct

• Family business, and drawing the the lines between work and home life.

• Taking time for creativity outside of work

• Growing a team, and when to let things go

• Katie’s new experiments in creating ceramic range

• Launch strategies and learning from mistakes

• Trusting your brand identity and staying authentic

Links we mentioned:

• My Substack Soiree class

• Katie’s online store, Katie Leamon

• Katie’s new ceramic range (I LOVE THIS CUP!)

Listened and loved it? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Find Hannah’s 4 Week Refresh Programme here

Hannah’s Instagram: @hanbullivant

Hannah’s website: hannahbullivant.com

Sara's Instagram:

Sara's Substack:

Sara's classes and coaching:

Sara's website:

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Things we talked about:

• The way multi-faceted careers can feel piecemeal (especially if parenting is added into the mix), or “like I’m doing five different jobs at once”
• Factoring in time to play as well as work
• Exploring your home town like a holiday destination
• Taking things home from real holidays that you might not expect (like appreciating the simple things, family meals, all your possessions in one suitcase)
• Avoiding habits of consuming everything and creating nothing
• Making connections on Twitter (Lisa says, “I engage with people because I love it”)
• Pondering the idea that the Internet means we don’t get bored any more, and what that means
• On making things happen (Lisa was waiting for a radio job offer but it didn’t come, so she started a podcast)
• “People say you’re brave putting yourself out there, but I’m more afraid of not doing it”
• The importance of perseverance, and regularly doing the thing you fear (until you don’t fear it any more)
• We had a frank conversation about money. Despite living an outwardly glamorous life, Lisa says, “I don’t earn enough”
• Becoming an “accidental landlady”: her unexpected foray into property investment to build financial security
• We talked about the way women often hide our realities, keeping everything from messy kitchens to miscarriage behind closed doors
• Everything has to start with just two views. Even the most viral video of all time had only two views at some point.
• And finally, the possibly-surprising-but-then-probably-not location that Lisa chose when I asked her about her favourite place in the whole world

Where to find Lisa:

• On Twitter she's @lfnand
• On Instagram she's @lisafrancesca_nand and @thebigtravelpodcast
• Her podcast: The Big Travel Podcast

The meditation app Sara mentioned:

• Waking Up

Where to find Sara:

• Sara on Substack
• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara's charity Christmas cards
• Me and Orla 2023 Calendar
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat

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Things We Talk About In This Episode: Working with clients in the creative process and their reactions. * How as humans we respond to visuals in a human way. Narratives that make it seem shallow to care about how things look. Like it’s superficial to care too much about the way you look and that this might mean you don’t have depth. * Aesthetics are a luxury that comes after the essentials of survival and how you can still care about aesthetics, even if the first priority is survival. * Creating worlds on Instagram for an escape, or for an imaginary world to exist in. * Growing up in a third-world country and living without running water. Living and growing up in a country where safety isn’t guaranteed and that these things stay with you. * That where we start is not always a reflection of where we’re going to end up. * The importance of the client’s story, understanding and connecting with them. * Taking lessons from pain. Looking for good and having empathy. * Struggling with seeing our own magic and the stories we tell ourselves. * Behind the scenes of Sell Your Sht, and how the coaching and lessons had an impact on Susan. * Learning that our experiences of life are not always everyone else's experiences. That our normal isn’t everyone’s experience. * How Susan joined Instagram as a way to communicate her journey. That starting to share and mingle with people helped her to feel it’s safe to share online. * That Instagram gives us chance to take small baby steps into being seen or into vulnerability. * How being in the spotlight can mean you lose the sense of freedom with your account. * That Instagram can be like therapy, that the discoveries that come as a result of being in the spotlight can help you to understand what you want. It makes you confront a lot of the stuff that’s hiding under the surface. * How people can reject your work but not reject you, and how we can get this confused, something that’s covered in Sell Your Sh*t. * Starting a business on Instagram and running a product business. * How preparing and getting ready is more about feeling ready, and how this is a process. * Learning about yourself and how your messages connect with other people is something you can’t rush. * Designing your brand from the inside out, so you can finally stop tweaking your brand. Challenging the there's one right way theory.

Links mentioned in this episode (and where to find Susan): Sell Your Sht * Susan product line * Susan youtube * Join Susan’s Email list * Why you need to join Substack with Farah Store

Where to find Susan:

• Susan's website: bysusanmar.com
• Susan on Instagram: by.susan.mar
• Susan on Youtube: by Susan Mar
• Susan's Email List & Freebies: choose-your-own-journey

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• Sara on Substack: meandorla.substack.com
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• Sell Your Sh*t - enroling now

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* The importance that established news organisations find ways to use social media if they want to engage a young audience * TikTok has redefined the experience of social media, with short video content, and Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts have followed suit * How Sophia found an audience on TikTok (and later on Instagram Reels) by talking to camera about her media stories * The way we can gain insights into what makes a successful social media post by being a user of the platform * The importance of constant engagement on social media, both creating and consuming content * Acknowledging the fear and vulnerability that can come with being authentic and genuine online * Sophia’s tips for successful TikTok/Reel content: action or engaging content in every second, and lead with your most powerful image/shot/quote) * Comparing the strengths and drawbacks of the different platforms, especially Reels and TikTok * When creating Reels content or TikTok content, share that content on both platforms so you’ll meet both audiences * When it comes to sharing your opinions online, having a sense of purpose goes a long way towards building your confidence * How Sophia has been promoting her book: reposting user content from her book launch on Instagram, a big thread on Twitter, traditional media appearances, and weekly TikTok videos (interspersed with other content so she doesn’t “spam” her audience) * The challenges of Internet (and especially social media) censorship with any content relating to sex or sexual health

Links mentioned in this episode (and where to find Sophia):Editing apps that help you create Reels or TikToks:

• Splice
• Template
• Cap Cut on Apple, and on Google

Here’s where to find and chat with Sophia:

• Sophia on Twitter: @sophiasgaler
• Sophia on TikTok: @sophiasmithgaler
• Sophia's book, Losing It: Sex Education for the 21st Century

Where to find Sara:

• The Insta Retreat - Currently on Pre Sale
• Sell Your Sh*t - Currently on Pre Sale
• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara

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Things we talked about:

• The value of owning your own audience
• Building a brand for yourself around the work you’re doing
• The growing online hunger for content by real people and the forging of real connections
• We seem to be entering an era that Farrah calls, rather poetically, "the Time of the Writer": the world has passed the period of devouring all the content on the Internet, now we are more discerning, and only want to consume content that we genuinely enjoy
• The continued return of demand for long-form content
• The return of community: the value of hearing from and engaging with your audience
• Giving your best work away from free (yes!)
• The limitations of the stories that can be told in traditional media
• And related, the limitations of creating content when you're in competition for followers or clicks
• When you try to appeal to the masses, you bland out

Farrah's tips for what works well on Substack:

• Niching works well. The more you niche, the more dedicated (as opposed to big) an audience you'll get
• Publishing twice a week tends to grow a "stickier" audience
• Use social media to point people to your Substack content
• Use your "About" page to set expectations and declare a manifesto
• Claim your real name, if you can

Where to find Farrah:

• Farrah's Substack platform, "Things Worth Knowing"
• Farrah on Instagram (for dog pictures and Substack information)

Where to find Sara:

• Sara on Substack
• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat

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Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• Sara on Substack
• The Insta Retreat
• Sell Your Sh*t
• One to one business coaching with Sara

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Things We Talk About In This Episode: The many ways for a book to “be successful” that don’t involve writing a New York Times bestseller (who knew?!) * Lockdown lessons, and learning to live with uncertainty * The surprising weight and reliance that we put on the future, without realising we’re doing it * The “ladder of hierarchies” through which we try (and mostly fail) to feel better about ourselves * Learning to enjoy the process* of making something, more than the reception it receives * Drinking the Kool-Aid of never-ending work, productivity, and demonising rest (and this pearl of wisdom: even machines burn out!) * And the related delusion we buy into, “I’ve put enough into the world that now I feel worthy” * Shame in its many forms, and diet culture * Using self-worth as an alternative motivator to shame * How to drop the shame (the first step is to start noticing it) * Curiosity is the bridge that can take us from shame to self-love * And the freedom and curiosity that comes when we finally drop the shame

Links mentioned in this episode (and where to find Jamie): Radically Content* is available from 12 April 2022, and can be ordered (or pre-ordered if you’re reading this before 12 April) here * Jamie’s website * Jamie’s online course on self-trust, “Live with Intention”

Here’s where to find and chat with Jamie in your favourite app:

• Jamie on Instagram @jamievaron
• Jamie on Twitter @jamievaron
• Jamie on Tiktok @jamievaron
• Jamie on Facebook @jamievaron

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat
• Sell Your Sh*t

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* Recognising the power of what’s possible when people come together with a common goal * The value of creating your own, distraction-free destination for group learning and support * Empowering creators to place higher value on the important business, community and content they are making - rather than being driven solely by the pursuit of money and influence * The importance of community, particularly when we are forging new paths (or making things up as we go along). Gina says, “the single best place to make things up as you go along is in a small, trusted community of people who are there on the same journey” * The important difference between “community” as opposed to audience, following or marketplace * The great value of having diversity within a likeminded group is in the different and interesting ways that community members apply the common concepts * The “fluff paradox” (the theory that content that is easy to judge - such as kittens or outrage - rises to the surface) * How content and course creators can now market themselves less on formal qualifications or years of experience, and more on how they make ideas and skills accessible to people who can’t yet do the thing we’re teaching * That networking is increasingly moving towards safe, trusted, creator-led online communities, which in turn is transforming in-person conferences and events less into “networking meet-ups” and more into reunions, with the capacity for deeper connections * How I use Mighty Networks to create community and support the members of my own 15 Minute Magic program * Pricing your services and wares, and in particular understanding that people value and pay attention to the things they pay for (a difficult concept to remember when our own self-doubt tells us to keep our prices low or give things away for free) * Gina’s top tips for building and facilitating a new community: 1. Fear of failure is the biggest challenge most people face, something we all need to recognise and overcome2. Go for quality rather than quantity in numbers of members3. Don’t get bogged down creating content: focus on creating results for your community4. Remember that community is about all members adding value to one another, not you preaching to an audience (“I’m not a sage on the stage, I’m on the side as a guide”)

Links mentioned in this episode:* Find Gina in the Mighty Network hosts community * Follow her on Twitter at @ginab * The Mighty Networks platform * Information on my 15 Minute Magic program

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat

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Things we talked about:

• Trusting that you have enough, you are enough and that there'll be enough in the future and how that applies to you as a human
• Decluttering and finding your own style, starting with the external and slowly moving in
• Being diagnosed with cancer at 25 and having an existential crisis that kick-started a big lifestyle change
• Jess's realisation that if the worst happened she would have had so many regrets, that the situation shone a light on ways she was living her life
• The fundamentals of doing stuff well online don't really change depending on the platform, it's about having something worth saying, being a human and connecting
• We have access to all these amazing people online and we can feel like, finally, there's somewhere where we do belong, that you can share actual feelings and emotions with people over the internet
• Building relationships with people that you wouldn't otherwise and connecting with like-minded souls that typically
• We are what we consume, so having a huge de-clutter of social media is a good thing
• Minimalism and simplifying life comes down to learning how to use the word no and how that can be really hard
• Intentional use of social media through asking yourself how you feel about it and taking action to make it work for you
• People's perception that we have to be perfect online and that showing any sign of weakness or difficulties is going to turn people off or mean they are no longer be interested in us
• When it comes to sharing online people don't connect with perfectionism like they do with pain or being broken because that's real, that we're all broken and we're all in pain and that being honest and open leads to deeper connections
• Showing up online as you is the key to a consistent online presence, the energy that we put into something transfers to the other person, they can feel it in your work,
• That we have so much to learn about vulnerability, fear of not being liked can lead to us not showing up as ourselves
• How it's all an experiment, that taking small steps makes being more us easier
• That you end up being so bland if you try to please everyone and how it's so dishonest to yourself as a human to deny you likes and dislikes - don't be like white rice!
• How validation can be good especially if you haven't received much in your life, as it helps build confidence
• Learning to use the word no, that it's about choice and that both paths are available to you
• That we're told we're not enough by media and society, and that we can stop, ask a few questions, try be a bit braver, try be a bit more intentional
• Sustainability, that the planet can't sustain our need to buy things to make us feel better, that it's not happiness but fulfilment that's important and it's about asking ourselves the difficult questions to reach it
• The freedom to explore and experience the good and the bad of life and how we miss out on the full experience if we are living by the rules we have been told
• That we are working too hard, that people are struggling with the expectations and are going to the doctor to get medication to keep up, that it's broken, the fact that people are working themself sick
• Enough is a decision, it's a choice we get to make
• My IG live with the Good Ship Illustration
• Jessica's IG live book launch

Where to find Jessica Rose Williams online:

• You can buy her book here
• You'll find her @jessicarosewilliams on Instagram
• On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaRoseWilliams
• And on her website

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat is currently open for enrolment

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Things we talked about:

• How it still doesn't feel quite normal to call herself a full-time artist and how that's something a lot of us struggle with
• Growing up with a parent who's an artist, the expectations that brings and how that comparison can make creating art feel overwhelming
• Finding your own path, however varied and wherever it takes you
• The feeling of not being good enough, how it can hold you back and the judgements we make of our own work
• How posting on Instagram helped Maria to believe in her work and grow in confidence, that sometimes we need the outside world to tell us we're doing a good job
• That throwing yourself into your passions can lead to burnout, especially when making career changes and having other responsibilities and that recovery can be slow and frustrating
• How burnout shows up and that working with your body can be hard especially in our brains and the guilt that comes with it
• That naps are part of the creative process, taking time away from your creative process feeds it
• Maria's watercolour course, which has run twice and is open for enrolment at the moment, it covers the technical side of things as well as your mindset when producing work
• How people have art supplies they are saving because they are afraid to use them and how people expect to be either creative or not, when actually it's a skill that can be developed
• That we can feel not worthy of using the fancy art supplies or that we're waiting, but what are we waiting for?
• The journeys we go on to become good at the things we do, the hours we spend practising and the impact
• How Maria's audience likes unexpected pieces of her work, that what you want to create and post and what your audience wants are two different things and how easy it would be to only create what people love but how that can be a trap
• That maybe Maria's art would be different if she was paid for painting and not for a piece of art, how if it didn't have to be marketable it might be different? And how that's hard to know
• How people can feel like an imposter, usually if they have had a different job and found or come back to the thing they're doing now, they want to take it seriously but they don't think they're allowed to and that technical skill can be the route of this
• Some people self-sabotage by talking quietly about their work, how we shouldn't be afraid to share about yourself because people want to know the person behind the post
• What's the big deal? If an Instagram post doesn't work then no one will see it so what's the problem with sharing it?
• How art changes over a lifetime, how it transforms into something new and that that's a good thing as you may do this for the rest of your life so if it stayed the same it would be terrible
• And that life can give you the perfect training, even if at the time you don't realise it.

Where to find ... online:

• Maria's website
• Maria's Instagram @mariawiggeart
• Maris's course Creating Boldly Use code ”MEANDORLA” for a 20% discount
• You'll find her Pinterest here
• And here's Episode 84, when Maria was last on the podcast

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• The Insta Retreat is currently open for enrolment
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• Sara mentions her new programme Sell Your Shit. It's coming soon - sign up to find out when here

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Things we talked about:

• The difference between writing as a journalist and writing a book (it’s just so long!)
• But: you only get to publish your first book once! Accept the nerves, and appreciate the moment
• The ever-present contention and push-back received when one writes about race
• Natalie’s very wise words that reaction is the point of writing - and those reactions don’t have to be positive every time
• The value of the interviews in her book, and how she found and chose the right people to talk to
• Some of the stories and themes that came out of the interviews that surprised her
• The unique experiences that people of mixed race have when they walk through the world, and the impact this has on identity, parenting, privilege, and the experience of racism
• Parenting mixed race children (avoiding “colour-blindness” and those fetishised hashtags on social media)
• How white parents can open dialogues that empower their mixed race children to talk about racism
• The value of social media in creating connections, sharing ideas, and giving voice to minorities who are not always heard on mainstream platforms
• But on the flip side, the deeply disturbing fetishisation of mixed race people - particularly mixed babies - and “blackfishing” trends (changing your appearance through make-up and hair to appear as though you have black heritage)
• And Natalie’s rallying call to allies: “We need you to still care. We need that energy you had in the summer.”

Where to find Natalie online:

• Natalie's book, Mixed/Other
• Natalie is @nmozz on Twitter
• And also @nmozz on Instagram
• You'll find her writing on metro.co.uk, in the lifestyle section
• And here's the Guardian article I mentioned, "Why celebrating mixed race beauty has its problematic side"

Where to find Sara:

• The Insta Retreat - My tell-all, best selling course for Instagram creatives and business owners
• One to one business coaching with Sara Tasker
• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla

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Things we talked about:

• The trials and tribulations of being a “goat doula”
• Her new book Earthed, and its journey from concept, through to the transformation it underwent while she was writing, due to pressures from within (mental health) and without (a pandemic)
• How she actually managed to get it written, with all this going on
• The challenges and joys of writing autobiographically
• We dug into the need to be honest with ourselves about how we want our lives to look… and to recognise the good stuff in there, even if reality doesn’t match the fantasy
• And about lessons learned about life in pandemic times: acknowledge the difficult stuff, but don’t give up on your dreams
• We talked about the process of being diagnosed with ADHD (both of us), and how those diagnoses changed our lives – in many cases for the better
• The fear of not being taken seriously by your GP
• The way the lifestyles we choose can be – subconsciously – self-medication
• Rebecca talked about following the things that interested her, even if that meant changing careers, and finding herself subconsciously being drawn to a life that fed what she needed
• And (this is a big one, I think), we talked about loving your brain! Loving the way it works, and the things it can do, regardless of whether or not it conforms with the way society says “all” brains should work
• The importance of nature – and simple connections with animals – in keeping us grounded and helping us both give and receive unconditional love

Where to find Rebecca online:

• Rebecca’s book Earthed, which came out in May this year
• Her website: www.rebeccaschiller.co.uk
• Find Rebecca on Instagram: @rebecca.schiller

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla

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Each week in the insta retreat we have 2 calls - one with a business/IG focus, and one like this, for mindset issues. Find out more and join in the fun at The Insta Retreat

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Things we talked about:

• Why so many of us feel suspicious about new technologies, and how we can change the narrative
• The way artificial intelligence (AI) reads and interprets our interests and activities in order to deliver content to us… and the impact that content can have on us
• Approaching social media mindfully, by noticing the impact certain content has on our moods and behaviours, and carefully curating what we choose to consume
• The difference between active and passive behaviour on social media
• Technologies (other than social media) that Becca is loving… and thinking outside the box for ways in which technologies can improve our lives
• The often-fraught topic of addictions, in relation to using our devices and social media
• Thoughts about influencers and unhealthy comparisons
• Becca shared her top tips for healthy ways to live with technology
• And finally, I asked Becca to share what she would like the landscape of technology to look like in 10 years
• The Insta Retreat - My tell all, best selling course for Instagram creatives and business owners.

Where to find Becca online:

• Becca’s new book, Screen Time (https://www.waterstones.com/book/screen-time/becca-caddy/9781788704212)
• Becca’s website: beccacaddy.com
• Becca on Twitter: @beccacaddy (https://twitter.com/beccacaddy)
• Becca on Instagram: @beccacaddy (https://www.instagram.com/beccacaddy/)

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla

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Things we talked about:

• Allowing ourselves to feel good when things actually go well
• The synchronicity of things happening when they’re supposed to (and when you’re ready)
• Defining success for ourselves (and it’s not always what we assume it might be)
• How lockdown taught Katherine to create her own “sense of safety” following the success of her book, by creating courses to shore up her income
• Finding ways to own your own story, message and brand
• How Katherine’s approach to Instagram evolved from “sharing pictures” to “telling stories”
• Katherine’s experience of coming back from “an anxious pattern of behaviour” around social media
• The quiet activism in the premise of Katherine’s book, Wintering, which is all about periods of life in which we feel cut off from the rest of the world
• Not always having to be “on” and “up.” As Katherine says, “The vision of us being always up discounts useful wonderful things like thinking, reflecting…”
• How we’ve all learned things about ourselves during lockdown, and the way our priorities (and what we are willing to accept) have changed
• Being diagnosed as autistic, quite late in life, allowed Katherine to make the personal changes she needed: “How to meet my own needs, rather than how to solve me”
• The experience of living life as a neurodivergent person
• Finding your right people online (if you lose followers after sharing your true self, then you’ve lost the right followers - you don’t want them)
• And this piece of wisdom from Katherine, for anyone who identifies with our “neurodivergent” conversation: "Your identification is yours. It doesn’t need the approval of a doctor or your mum.”
• The Insta Retreat - My tell all, best selling course for Instagram creatives and business owners.

Where to find Katherine online:

• Katherine’s website, katherine-may.com [https://katherine-may.co.uk] where you will also find her books
• Katherine on Twitter: @_katherine_may_ [https://twitter.com/_katherine_may_]
• Katherine on Instagram: @katherinemay_ [https://www.instagram.com/katherinemay_/]
• Katherine’s podcast, The Wintering Sessions [https://katherine-may.co.uk/winteringsessions]
• The True Stories Writing School [https://www.truestorieswritingschool.com], home of Katherine’s online courses

Books we mention in this episode:

• Wintering: the power of rest and retreat in difficult times [https://bookshop.org/books/wintering-the-power-of-rest-and-retreat-in-difficult-times/9780593189481]
• Electricity of Every Living Thing: a woman’s walk in the wild to find her way home [https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-electricity-of-every-living-thing-a-woman-s-walk-in-the-wild-to-find-her-way-home/9781409172512]
• The 52 Seductions [https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-52-seductions/9780755362530]

Where to find Sara

• meandorla.co.uk
• Instagram - @me_and_orla
• My website designer - stories studio

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WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT

• Anna and I discuss the difference between the business of writing, and the writing of writing
• The fear that so many of us feel of showing up, and putting ourselves out there or “being seen to try”. Anna says this is “straight-up embarrassment,” and we feel this way whenever we step outside the norm (even if we are embarrassed for positive reasons, like receiving a compliment)
• But in addition to this, she says that what holds us back, post-pandemic, is “very low emotional reserves.” All of us have a lower baseline of resilience which makes pitching scarier, and rejection harder to take
• Recognising when you’re in burnout (and remembering that you don’t have to have all the answers before you’re allowed to help anyone else!)
• Defining freelancing and the many roles that freelancers need to play. Learning to be both boss and employee, and knowing when to shift between these modes
• Seeking a balance between working ON the business versus IN the business. Anna says she spends 20 percent of her time actually writing… but she’s working on increasing this!
• The bonkers (Anna’s word but I wholeheartedly agree!) system that rewards creative people for doing a good job by making them managers - a completely different skill-set and a role that a lot of creative people don’t actually aspire to take on
• Working with people in your business from a place of collaboration, rather than management
• Getting comfortable with sales (and moving on from the door-to-door salesman stereotype)
• “Dirty capitalism” versus “clean capitalism” (in other words, the conflict-that-shouldn’t-be-a-conflict of doing the right thing while also making money)

LINKS WE MENTIONED

• Anna’s book, “You’re the Business: How to Build a Successful Career When You Strike Out Alone”
• My first chat with Anna, on “Life Lessons for Freelancers” -
• The book Anna mentions, “A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload” by Cal Newport
• The quote I was trying to remember is attributed to Ellevest co-founder and former Citigroup CFO Sallie Krawcheck, who said, “About the most powerful thing you can do to help a society and economy is get more money in the hands of women.” Hear hear!

WHERE TO FIND ANNA ONLINE

• Anna’s podcast, Is this working? Which she co-hosts with Tiffany Philippou
• Anna on Twitter (she’s @annacod)

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Sally is joining me for weekly bonus coaching calls in my upcoming Insta Retreat class. Enrol now at meandorla.co.uk

Sally’s free program, “stop people pleasing in 5 days”

Sally's Website

The Life Coach School

Sally's Instagram @sallyhardie_coach

My Instagram

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If you want to know more about my tell all Instagram class The Insta Retreat follow this link

To read my companion blog post 'What the F is up with Instagram Hashtags?' follow this link

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WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

• The often-underestimated importance of being “politely persistent”

• Starting a blog and Instagram before you become an expert (practising in public), as a way to find clients after you graduate

• The way Kimberly used Instagram not only as a photography portfolio but also as a way to train her writing voice ahead of writing her book, alongside her blog writing

• The value of receiving immediate feedback on Instagram to hone our marketing skills: we immediately learn what works and what doesn’t, based on people’s responses

• A burgeoning shift of women taking up space and creating businesses, that is reshaping our ideas of what it is to be a leader, what a CEO is, and what “sales and marketing” should look like

• The historic under-valuing of creativity in the mainstream, and particularly in business (creativity is not perceived as productivity, and productivity is how we measure our worth), and how creative people (often women) are forging important changes to that attitude

• Kimberly’s fabulous words, like a rallying cry, which someone needs to put on Pinterest! “Creativity is joy. Creativity is being alive.”

• The highs and lows of pitching a book to publishers and agents (and recovering from rejection)

• Using our public platforms to hold ourself accountable to pursuing our creative dreams

• The awful summer of 2020, and Kimberly’s personal and professional turning point after reading the rather grim statistics around the number of women of colour who get book deals, and what they get paid…

• The importance of investing in ourselves (even to putting our money where our mouths are!)

• The nuts and bolts of self-publishing… beautifully (and being the CEO of your book)

• Kimberly’s advice for anyone who is seeking the courage to follow their dreams

LINKS

My Instagram class The Insta Retreat

• Kimberly’s Instagram, @thelittleplantation

• Her book, Creative Food Photography

• Her podcast, Eat, Capture, Share

• Kimberly’s blog, with lots of resources on self publishing and food photography

• Sara’s podcast interview with Fiona Humberstone

• For self-publishers, Kimberly recommends The Book Launch Show podcast with Tim Grahl

• More about Clubhouse, a live, audio social media app, currently invitation only

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Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ida on TikTok
• Ida on Instagram
• Ida on Youtube
• Ida’s lumberjack TikTok
• Clubhouse
• My Instagram Class, The Insta Retreat
• Me on Instagram – @me_and_orla

Times for our Clubhouse chat

16:00 GMT

11:00 AM EST

08:00 AM PST

04:00 AM Sydney

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* Multi-layered, multi-hyphenated careers and what to call yourself if you’re asked at a party * Being led by curiosity, the value of deep-dive research, and the joy of starting something new * Mel’s early career in the not-for-profit charity sector, and the turning point she reached that led her to galvanise a group of volunteers and ultimately, to co-create Freedom Acts, a not-for-profit group aimed at ending modern slavery * How pregnancy can be an impetus for both creativity and personal rebellion * Doing something new, how to “be a learner at every stage,” and how to get things done despite feeling totally unqualified * Pivoting careers, self-doubt and self-worth wobbles when it comes to moving from charitable work to for-profit work, the desire to “do good,” and the realisation that roles, and work, can be “both-and” rather than “either-or” * Finding your ‘ideal community’ on Instagram, and building space to make that community part of your offline life * Starting an “accidental business” * Allowing your values to drive your business, or the work you do in the world * The inner work that goes into making peace with charging for your services, skills and time * That women need to have more stakes and autonomy in economics, finance and making money… and that we are to be trusted * Navigating the world of online influence * The concept of being influential as an improvement (what it means to be “improvingly influential”) * Mel’s research into what people consistently find “influential” in both social and personal contexts (three core pillars of intuition, integrity, and impact) * The value of finding and maintaining our own personal boundaries when sharing online * The very human desire to “be seen” - and giving ourselves permission to admit this and pursue it

Links mentioned in this episode: Mel’s website * Mel’s business, Assembly * Mel on Instagram, @melwiggins * Freedom Acts * Sara’s podcast episode “Using Instagram for Charity Fundraising, with Creating for Good” * Sara’s story in Stylist* magazine: “How becoming the breadwinner changed my relationship with my husband” * Tara Mohr (coach and author)

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Things I Talk About In This Episode:* The evolving trends of Instagram * How our fears and doubts stay the same, no matter how the platform evolves * The risks and costs of buying too heavily into one trend * Why I'm always wary of one-size-fits-all solutions online * The importance of staying connected to your own creative vision and voice * How to use trends for growth without getting blown off-path * The importance of building meaningful connections with your audience/customers

Links mentioned in this episode:* My Instagram * My Insta Retreat Class * An example of my window photos * My Vodafone Business Story * My upcoming Lunch N Learn session in growing your Instagram, with Vodafone Business UK and Enterprise Nation

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* The world changed between the time Skye wrote this book and when it was published. We talk about how she faced the challenge of publishing a book about feeding the people you love, when you’re not allowed to be with them. (Spoiler alert: being apart from the people we love makes us value those times we do have together, even more) * The creative ways we have responded to lockdown, finding unique (safe) ways to gather, and cooking with limited ingredients * How lockdown is impacting our children, but not necessarily in the same way that it is affecting us * The positive ways in which lockdown encourages us to pause for meals and enjoy eating together * Ready-chopped onions! * The difference between simply cooking to one recipe, versus pulling an entire meal together * How truly universal food can be (“everyone eats - if we don’t, we die!”) and the myriad cultural, historical and aspirational elements we bring to our cooking that make it so very personal * How to set up two kitchens in two different countries * Our guilty food confessions * And the market for someone to invent a ready-made choux pastry!

Links mentioned in this episode: Skye’s new book, A Table for Friends * Skye’s first book, A Table in Venice* * Hive online (where Skye suggests you can buy her book - and others - while supporting independent sellers) * Skye on Instagram: @skyemcalpine * Skye’s range of tableware for Anthropologie * Me on Instagram - @me_and_orla

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* The business idea that grew out of Maressa’s own creative slump * How important it is to value creativity (Maressa says it’s the uniqueness that makes us human) even if the people around us - and society in general - don’t recognise the value * The challenge of finding the balance on Instagram (and elsewhere) between “what I want to share” and “what people want” * Developing an Instagram account that creates space for you to be a whole person, and that can evolve alongside your interests * How talking to camera on video became a way for Maressa to make her content more accessible to people with visual and hearing disabilities * The way in which Maressa uses her platform to talk about anti-racism, in a way that started out from a need to share and evolved into a process of very personal and vulnerable education * Talking to our children about racism (“we need to see colour in order to see privilege”) * Maressa’s Patreon space: why she started it, how she structures it, and how creating a paid space enabled Maressa to start valuing herself, and helped members of her community likewise value themselves * The difference between consciously selling, versus sharing with genuine excitement about what we are doing * Parenting and creativity, and how Maressa models the creative life to her children

Links mentioned in this episode:* Maressa on Instagram: @maressamade * Mareesa’s Patreon community * Maressa's Maker Affirmations series * Some of Maressa's Anti Racism videos: here, here and here * Nova Reid's HA podcast episode “Anti-Racism Work for Well-Meaning Liberals” * Nova Reid's Instagram * The Insta Retreat

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* Why you don't need a huge audience online to be successful * How to get organic reach on Instagram without having to pay for ads * Photography for Instagram, and how it differs from conventional photography * Pivoting your business, and why it pays to put yourself at the heart of your brand * The difference between being a freelancer and an entrepreneur/business owner * Promoting a book during lockdown, and the unexpected benefits of “marketing for introverts” when almost everything has to happen online * How the workplace might look on the other side of COVID * Caring for your mental health as a freelancer, and recognising that mental health goes beyond mindset * Relaxing the idea of rigid timetables, and embracing routines that work for our health and happiness * The value of having a person outside our situation, such as a coach, help us recognise and overcome our limiting beliefs * Managing your finances, including building a financial buffer, pricing yourself, planning for holidays, and avoiding the limitations of exchanging time for money * Fiona’s experience delivering a donation-based course, giving away content, and the balance of making support and content accessible to all, while still running a profitable business

Links mentioned in this episode: Tickets to Fiona's virtual Book Launch with me, October 1st 2020 * Fiona's podcast, "Out of Office" * Her book “Out of Office” on Amazon * Her Instagram: @fionalikestoblog * Fiona's website, fionalikestoblog.com * Her Twitter profile, @fionalikes * Our first podcast episode together, here on Hashtag Authentic * My Instagram Class, The Insta Retreat*

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Things I Talk About In This Episode:* Why we get tempted to make something new instead of doubling down on selling what we've already created * What to do when you think you've run out of marketing ideas * Why our brains like to keep us from doing things that are new * The benefits of creating and selling a long-term product * Lessons learned from maintaining a bestselling online class for 4+ years * The difference between when your product is the problem vs when it's your marketing or offer

Links mentioned in this episode:* My Insta Retreat Class * My Instagram * My Twitter

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* Nova's career path through acting, singing and psychotherapy, and how she came to anti-racism work * Nova's wedding blog and the lack of diversity in the wedding industry * Nova's work educating white people about white supremacy * The boundaries and safeguards Nova has to put in place due to the trauma of her work * The origins of racism and white supremacy in the UK and beyond * Why we need to do the work personally, and not just put the blame of white supremacy on big institutions * The practical work we need to take to dismantle white supremacy together * Why silence is so dangerous, and how the powerful majority needs to step up * Why Nova believes holding compassion is vital to facilitate change * Screwing up on your anti-racism journey, and accepting feedback along the way * How the current political turmoil might be a necessary catalyst for change * How relating racism to feminism can help some people begin to understand the work * Nova's personal healing journey, and how trauma can be carried through generations * Why Nova won't be doing this work long term (so grab your chance to work with her now!)

Links mentioned in this episode:* Nova's website * Nova's new podcast, Conversations With Nova Reid * Nova's Instagram @novareidofficial * Nova's @novareidoffic * Nova's excellent anti-racism courses for individuals and small businesses * Nova's TED talk - "How you have the power to change the world" * Nova's Courageous Courage Class for allies * Courageous Courage for BME women * Nova's "pick my brain" consultancy sessions * The Bridge Retreat

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Things We Talk About In This Episode:* What's great, and not-so-great, about conventional art education * The balance between profitability and individuality, and where mainstream advice often goes wrong * Creating an online class for the first time, and building a mailing list * Why it's so hard, and so important to get to grips with your own creative voice * The magic of imperfection in all things

Links mentioned in this episode:* The Good Ship Illustration * Helen Stephens * Katie Chappell * Tania Willis

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Things we talk about in this episode: Why being truly indistractable isn't really the aim * “A mistake repeated more than once is a decision” ― Paulo Coelho * Why your goal should be growth, not perfection * Why we can't rely on willpower and self control * The antidote to impulsiveness * How time-boxing your calendar gives you freedom * Why we can't blame our phones for our distraction * How to stay indistractable when spending time with our kids (even when it's boring!) * The power of changing our thinking from 'have too' to 'choose too'* * The tyranny of the to-do list * Being indistractable with ADHD * How to keep to a schedule, even when we don't want to * Getting started on a task * Why accountability is key to staying focused * How to turn distraction into laser sharp focus

Links mentioned in this episode: The Flock Community - get notified * My 15 Minute Magic Class - enrolling now * My Instagram, Twitter and website * Nir's previous conversation on Hashtag Authentic (episode 82) * Nir's Instagram and Twitter * Nir's book,Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life * Nir's website, Nir & Far * Hooked, Nir's first book * Nir's free schedule maker * Focusmate* accountability partners

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Things we talk about in this episode: Women for Women's #MessageForMySister campaign * How Angelica started About Time Magazine* and built her readership * How the title survives online when so many others have folded * Finding mentors, and how sometimes the best mentors can be people you've never met * The value of meeting fellow entrepreneurs and creative business owners * How the difference in experience affects the terms used for women in business * Why true entrepreneur spirit doesn't need to look like Richard Branson * Approaching business with 'playful curiosity', and why joy is vital in what you seek to establish * Angelica's upcoming book * Starting a business straight out of University * The need for women-only events, and why wellbeing and business should both be on the agenda * The challenges of establishing and organising a large event * Developing the skills to run a team * Angelica's advice for someone just starting out

Links mentioned in this episode:* #Messagetomysister from Women for Women * About Time Magazine * #SheStartedIt Live (13-14 March 2020) * Angelica's Instagram @jellymalin * Angelica's Twitter @jellymalin * You're not Listening - Kate Murphy * Moody Month - App * 15 Minute Magic - enrolling this month * My Instagram, Twitter and website

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Things we talk about in this episode: Rachael's new book - The Telephone Box Library * The need for 'comfort reading' and gentle entertainment in a difficult world * Why women's fiction is so important, and the power of a quiet message in accessible form * Social media as a force for good * Why feeling uncomfortable about what you share can be a good thing * The power of finding your 'inner American' for self confidence * Creativity and courage * Procrastination, and lessons from 15 Minute Magic* * Living with Autism and ADHD as an adult, and as a parent of neurodiverse children * Rachel's young adult fiction novel with an autistic protagonist - The State of Grace * Real self-care and why self advocacy can be so difficult * Our book giveaway - enter on Rachael's Instagram by 3/2/20

Links mentioned in this episode: Kelsey's Instagram @kelseymech * Kelsey's website and upcoming anxiety program * Rachael's website * Rachaels Instagram @rachaellucas * Rachael's Twitter @karamina * The Telephone Box Library * The State of Grace * Rosie Curtis (Rachael's other pen name) * 15 Minute Magic * Episode 23 with Tara Mohr * My Instagram, Twitter and website * My Insta Retreat class, enrolling now!*

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Things we talk about in this episode:* The fears that stop us sharing our creative work * Maria's journey from making art in her house that nobody saw, to sharing and selling full time * What Maria gained from The Instaretreat * The power of a nurturing community * Maria's plans for online teaching * Instagram's ALT text feature * Adding captions to Instagram Stories & IGTV videos * Why the Instagram algorithm sometimes seems to hates you * Business accounts vs Personal accounts on Instagram * Ways to visually showcase a product without being repetitive * Ways to visually showcase expertise when you don't have a portfolio * Bio-links and link trees for Instagram * Hashtags on Instagram, and why they don't always help on every post * Ways I've updated my Instagram class, The Instaretreat

Links mentioned in this episode: Maria's website * Maria's Instagram @mariawiggeart * My Instagram, Twitter and website * My Insta Retreat class, enrolling soon*

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Things we talk about in this episode:* What journalists and content creators can learn from one another * The power of engagement of numbers * The content creator/journalist/freelancer as a brand * Managing your public versus private self * The positives of being more 'reachable' in today's media/content realm * Anna's newsletter, how she developed and grew it, and how it now pays her revenue * The freelance mindset * Why having a key message and consistency is essential for freelancers * Why you haven't missed the boat if you want to set out as a content creator * Anna's Fair Pay for Freelancers campaign

Links mentioned in this episode:* The Professional Freelancer - Anna's newsletter * Anna's Twitter - @annacod * Anna's Instagram - @annacod * Anna's website * #FairPayForFreelancers * Anna's podcast - Is This Working? * Dolly Alderton * Tiffany Philippou * Substack * Sian Meades-Williams * Kat Molesworth * Letters From a Hopeful Creative podcast * My Instagram and Twitter * My Insta Retreat class, enrolling soon! * Sign up to join my new free community, The Flock

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Things we talk about in this episode:* Developing good habits around tech, and managing existing bad habits * Distraction vs traction * Forethought vs impulse, and how the two interact * How procrastination and distraction interlink * Why to do lists are generally unhelpful * The magic of 'timeboxing' * The importance of translating your values into time * Using scheduling for relaxation time as well as work activity, so you don't have to feel guilty * The truth about multitasking * Why seeking happiness all the time trips us up, and we need to allow discomfort * Raising indistractable kids, with healthy habits around technology

Links mentioned in this episode: Nir's Instagram and Twitter * Nir's newest book,Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life * Nir's website, Nir & Far * Atomic Habits,* Nir's previous book * Nir's free schedule maker * The Full Focus Planner * Brooke Castillo * Forest App * My Instagram and Twitter * My free 15 Minute daily activity prompts for online businesses * My 15 Minute Magic program

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Things we talk about in this episode:* How Sophie built her online business from a personal blog * Life in rural Australia - farming, drought and lots of long drives! * Writing her book, A Basket By the Door, and teaching herself photography * The power of Instagram for rural producers and product based businesses - especially when you're geographically isolated * Finding the beauty in the mundane * Why there's space for everyone on the internet, and how to find yours * Why you need to 'put your shoes by the door' * The power of workshops for bringing people together * Starting her new podcast series

Links mentioned in this episode:* Poignant Presents from M.O.S.S, plus Syreeta and Rob's online store * Sophie's instagram @locallovely * Sophie's blog local is lovely * Sophie's book A Basket by the Door * Sophie's podcast/workshop/ecourse My Open Kitchen * Tessa Kiros, Amiko Davies, Luisa Brimble, Beth Kirby * Dispatch to a Friend podcast * Hashtag Authentic Ep 74 with Annabelle Hickson (Dispatch from a Friend) * My book on photography and Instagram, Hashtag Authentic * My Instagram * My Twitter * My monthly Hashtag Newsletter for Instagram

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Things I talk about in this episode: Episode sponsor, Olympus and the new PEN E-PL10 camera * Get 20% off in the Olympus webshop with code SARA20* * Your customer pathway, and where Instagram sits on it * The '7 touchpoint' customer rule * Not putting all our eggs in one social media basket] * Why relying on only one platform makes sales harder * Why images are still (and will always be) key * The power of Visual Identity * Pictures and symbols for communication * Repurposing content * Why we all stopped using other platforms - and need to start again * How to show up where your customers are * How to create a cohesive strategy across all your social platforms

Links mentioned in this episode: The Olympus PEN E-PL10. Get 20% off with code SARA20* * My post on the Olympus PEN vs the iPhone camera * My 15 Minute Magic program, for procrastinating business owners * Letters From a Hopeful Creative podcast * Jen Carrington's bridge metaphor - The Bridges To Your Island * My Christmas tree photo on Instagram * My monthly Twitter chat (back next month!) * My book on photography and Instagram, Hashtag Authentic * My Pinterest * Doxdirect online printing * Creative Market, for mock up images * My free 15 Minute Magic prompt cards * My Instagram * My Twitter * My monthly Hashtag Newsletter for Instagram * The Insta Retreat - my bestselling class for Instagram * My tweet that generated a ton of press * Brooke Castillo

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Things we talk about in this episode:* Old school vs new style Instagram * Instagram as therapy * How to know what is or isn't too vulnerable to put online * EJ's experience of sharing his trans journey on Instagram * Instagram's anti-bullying and moderation features * The dangers of chasing likes * Controlling your 'inner toddler' instincts * Taking Instagram breaks * How EJ landed his job as a BBC presenter * EJ's reflections on sharing his cancer diagnosis

Links mentioned in this episode:* EJ's Instagram - @hatchetandbear/@ej_osbourne * EJ's Website - Hatchet And Bear * EJ's Twitter - @HatchetAndBear * EJ's BBC TV work - Money for Nothing * My Instagram word block list post * My new 15 Minute Magic Program * My Twitter - @meandorla * My Instagram - @me_and_orla

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Things we talk about in this episode:* Jameisha’s video creation process * The realities of living with a chronic illness, and the importance of awareness * Jameisha's experience of getting a diagnosis of Lupus * The pros and cons of being your own “google doctor” * Racism and conscious/unconscious bias in the health care system * How colonialism still shapes medical bias * How to advocate for yourself when seeking a diagnosis when you're not being heard * The strength of online support communities * How You Look Okay To Me came about * How Jameisha stays connected to her drive to create dispute illness * How chronic illness can shape your career for better and worse * The pitfalls and benefits of being honest and vulnerable about your health online

Links mentioned in this episode:* Website - You Look Okay To Me * Instagram - @youlookokaytome * Twitter - @YouLookOkayToMe * Youtube * Facebook * Jameisha’s personal Instagram * Jameisha’s personal Twitter * Lupus * POTS * Benenden Health Insurance * My new 15 Minute Magic Program * My Twitter - @meandorla * My Instagram - @me_and_orla

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Things I talk about in this episode:* Getting stuck in passive action - reading books, buying courses, but never doing the work * Why I made my new 15 Minute Magic program * Why you're not lazy, and procrastination is much more common than we think * Why 'willpower' is never enough * How resistance is always here for a reason, and how to unpick it * "You can't change your mind with your own mind" * Headings for worksheet: 1. The thing you want to be doing. 2. What's the feeling? (check the graphic). 3. What's the thought? 4. What would you advise to somebody else? * Feelings and thoughts disguised as facts * Why too much flexible time is bad for productivity * Why scheduling automatically increases action * How fear is responsible for a lot of our procrastination * Weaponising self doubt and using action to disprove our fears * Free downloadable prompt cards

Links mentioned in this episode:* My new 15 Minute Magic Program * Free downloadable prompt cards and worksheet * My Twitter - @meandorla * My Instagram - @me_and_orla * Plutchik's wheel of feelings (the emotions graphic I mention) * Letters from a Hopeful Creative

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Things we talk about in this episode:* How playing the algorithm and customer pleasing game too well can lead us off our true path * Building a business with Addisons disease, and working with chronic illness * Making successful sales through Not On The Highstreet and other third party platforms * Why six figure turnover doesn't always equal high profits * How to evaluate whether your business is making you happy * Pivoting your business * Why Jane is 'anti amazon prime' and encourages slow and mindful sales * Offering free shipping, yay or nay? * The importance of community, both on and offline * Why big Instagram numbers don't also equal lots of sales * Building a membership community * Investing in professional business coaching support * Staying on the right path for your heart and your business

Links mentioned in this episode:* Jane's Website - snapdragonlife.com * Janes's instagram - @snapdragon.life * Jane's Facebook community * Jen Carrington * Kate Ferris - simple and season * My Twitter - @meandorla * My Instagram - @me_and_orla * My website

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Things we talk about in this episode:* How Fiona found blogging as a way to improve her mental health * Fiona's book and podcast * The positive power of social media for mental helth * Why the friends and communities you make on social media matter * Why diet culture sucks * How to maintain a healthy relationship with the internet * Why your self worth and status should not be defind by your job or levels of productivity * How finding you creative outlet can help your mental health * Creative flow state, and why creativity takes many different forms * The dangers of toxic positivity

Links mentioned in this episode:* Fiona's book - Depression in a Digital Age: The Highs and Lows of Perfectionism * Fiona's blog - fionalikestoblog.com * Fiona and Amy Holland'spodcast - Positive People Podcast * Fiona's instagram - @fionalikestoblog * Fiona's twitter - @fionalikes * My Twitter - @meandorla * My Instagram - @me_and_orla * My website * Laura Thomas- Hashtag Authentic Episode * The Forrest App * Jen Carrington * I Can Cards - adults, children

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Things we talk about in this episode:* Annabelle's journey to becoming an accidental florist * The pitfalls of renovating an old house * The joy of engaging in the nature around you * Creativity and 'dignity in the doing' * Finding beauty in the mundane * Using real life experiences to connect with your audience * Annabelle's podcast, and the challenges of public speaking when you're really more of a writer * Being a 'webtrovert' (an introvert who blossoms online) * Forming real friendships through social media * Managing self-criticism

Links mentioned in this episode: Annabelle's book - A Tree in the House: Flowers for your home, special occasions and every day * Annabelle and Gillian's podcast - Dispatch to a Friend * Gillian Bell's instagram - @gillianbellcake * Fiona Pickles Instagram - @firenzaflowers * The Moth Snowstorm * Lit Up podcast * Emily Dickinson * My Open Kitchen * My Instagram - @me_and_orla

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Things we talk about in this episode: Chupi's journey so far, and how she was inspired by her mum * Being homeschooled in Ireland * Her early years in business, writing a cookbook as a teenager and being scouted for Topshop at 21 * Working alongside her husband * Why you should focus your dream on what you are really good at * Why you should employ people who are better at their job than you are * How social media has helped Chupi's business grow * Winning awards including Irish Tatler Women of the Year Award*, and why it can be more powerful to lose * The obstacles and prejudices Chupi has faced as a female creative entrepreneur * Why creative businesses should be taken seriously

Links mentioned in this episode: Chupi's online jewellery (trust me, you want to click!) * Chupi's Instagram @chupi * What To Eat When You Can't Eat Anything, the cookbook Chupi wrote in her teens * Niki Groom's Instagram @miss_magpie_spyand Hashtag Authentic Podcast * The Magdalene Laundries * Chupi's Woman of the Year Award - Irish Tatler * Hipstamatic * The Guardian's Past Notes column * From Bee With Love's Instagram @frombeewithlove(formally Bookish Bronte) * My book, Hashtag Authentic* * My blog and website meandorla.co.uk

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• My book, Hashtag Authentic*
• My blog and website meandorla.co.uk

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Things we talk about in this episode: Naomi's background in media, marketing and journalism * Naomi's role in Me & Orla* * How the Insta Retreat helped Naomi grow her Instagram and her business * The 'Instagram vernacular', and the importance of creating for your audience * Why it's vital to recognise and acknowledging your dreams * The importance of leaving scope for your dreams to evolve * The magic of indulging your passions and interests

Links mentioned in this episode: My next Instagram class, enrolling 1st October 2019 * Naomi's Instagram * Naomi's website * My book, Hashtag Authentic (yes, I'm probably going to link to this in every show notes for the rest of eternity...what of it?) * My blog and website meandorla.co.uk

* denotes affiliate links

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• My next Instagram class, enrolling 1st October
• My first Instagram post back
• My book, Hashtag Authentic* (yes, I'm probably going to link to this in every show notes for the rest of eternity...what of it?)
• 24/7: Late Capitalism and The End of Sleep*
• TiredTrauma on Tumblr

* denotes affiliate links

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Things we talk about in this episode: Dominique's journey to 500k + followers. * Behind the scenes of All that is She* * Setting and following Instagram trends * Playing the Insta game, and why being authentic is better than following trends * Introducing 'boy Dom' * Juggling a family life whilst running a business from home * Money shame, and why it's difficult to talk about financial success * What Dominque's average day looks like * The real story of how much work a sponsored post takes to create * Putting all your eggs in one digital basket/platform * How the algorithm has affected Dominque's account * The impact of the ASA guidelines on sponsored content * How Dominque has personally grown over the last three years

Links mentioned in this episode: My next Instagram class * Dom's previous conversation on the podcast * My book, Hashtag Authentic * My Instagram (@me_and_orla) * Domique's Instagram (@allthatisshe) * Our sponsor for the event, Mirabeau wine * My highly technical rosédeliciousness scale * All that is Three * Scenes from the ceiling * Mrs Hinch's Instagram * The Slow Traveler's Mrs Hinch article * Book - Weapons of Math Destruction* * Taylors of Harrogate * denotes affiliate links

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• My book, Hashtag Authentic*
• Dolly's book, Everything I Know About Love*
• Dolly's new novel, Ghosts - available for preorder here
• My Instagram (@me_and_orla)
• Dolly's Instagram (@dollyalderton)
• Dolly's Twitter (@dollyalderton)
• Brene Brown / vulnerability hangovers*
• Our sponsor for the event, Mirabeau wine

• My next Insta Retreat class

• Indicates affiliate links

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http://www.podstrike.net/ 

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Things we talk about in this episode:

• Reading from Hashtag Authentic's introduction
• How I started out on Instagram by seeking beauty in an uncompromising environment
• My previous job, working in speech therapy for the NHSWhy communication is central in everything I do
• Why I believe it's ok to create a 'highlight reel'Why visuals are the best communication tool
• My chronic illness (dysautonomia), and how this impacts on my workWhat my average day looks like
• Spoon theory
• My initial vision in setting up my business, and my career path
• The need for a new wave of honest marketing and business
• Why I don't need a digital detoxHow to start out on Instagram from scratch (audience question)
• Why there will always be an Instagram community for you, no matter what your interest (audience question)
• My future dreams and ambitions (audience question)The importance of not being soley led by what your audience wants
• Who inspires me (audience question)Why going "off piste" in search of inspiration brings the best results

Links mentioned in this episode:

• My book, Hashtag Authentic
• My Instagram (@me_and_orla)
• Laura's Instagram (@laurajaneauthor)
• Our sponsor for the event, Mirabeau wine
• The rosé deliciousness scale
• Laura's writing courses
• POTS
• Spoon theory
• Ira Glass quote - The Gap
• Pet crows and ravens
• Tori Amos
• Ani Difranco
• Elizabeth Day - How to Fail podcast espiode Raven Smith

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Things we talk about in this episode:

• Why Otegha left her career in advertising for freelance life
• Starting a business by following interests and opportunities, instead of by intent
• When your personal brand is your real self, and how this can help weed out inappropriate clients
• Not worrying about being liked by everyone - and not putting everyone else's needs above your own
• Reclaiming words like 'marketing' and 'entrepreneur', and the different ways to build a business that balance personal and commercial imperatives
• The changing metrics of businesses, and the things small business owners are nailing over bigger businesses
• How small businesses and entrepreneurs benefit from being more nimble and agile - an essential skill for the digital world
• How Otegha self-published her first book as a special project, through a Squarespace website, promoting it entirely by herself
• How the book got picked up by a publisher, and the transition from self-published to being represented by a bigger publishing house
• Otegha's upcoming book, a money memoir, and what we all need to talk about money
• Why we're all scared of talking about money, and the shame, guilt and baggage we all secretly carry

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Women Who -"a URL and IRL community for creative working women" (love this tagline!)
• Roxanne Gay - Bad Feminist
• Otegha's book, The Little Black Book: a toolkit for working women
• Otegha's upcoming money memoir, We Need to Talk About Money
• Dear Sugar's podcast episode with Oprah Winfrey
• Something I wrote for Stylist mag about how becoming the breadwinner changed my marriage

Order my book UK / US / Australia

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Things I talk about in this episode:

• A reading of one of the sections in Hashtag Authentic - Our Visual Culture
• Why I ended up working directly with a publisher without an agent - and why I'll do it differently next time
• What happened when my publisher retired mid-way through the process
• How self doubt showed up for me during the writing process, and how I (re)learned to advocate for myself
• What the book's about, and digging into the different chapters
• One of my fave photos I've ever taken
• How I'm publicising the book on social media
• Why any book around Instagram needs to tackle imagery, photography and editing
• My hopes for the book and its messages around Instagram and wider social media

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Pre Order my book UK / US / Australia
• My upcoming Live book events

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Things we talk about in this episode:

• Erica's move from working as a journalist and fashion editor to running her own 'mini magazine' on her Instagram & blog
• The impact of showing your real self online
• Moving away from London - and how this brought Erica clarity on her brand and voice
• Being a 40-year-old, size 12-14 fashion blogger - and why there's the need for every kind of body on Instagram
• Ways to make money as a fashion influencer - sponsored posts, ongoing brand partnerships, affiliate links etc.
• The importance of due diligence when choosing sponsorships and partnerships
• Transparency about sponsored content, and respecting your audience's trust
• The lack of transparency around adverting and product placement in traditional media such as magazines and music videos, and the inequality of the conversations around it
• 'Fast fashion' and why we all should be buying fewer clothes
• The problem of money when it comes to choosing between fast fashion and more ethical brands
• Using your "influence" in positive ways, and to change the industry
• Why fashion and interior design is not superficial or frivolous
• Managing the demands of family life as a self-employed person

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Stacey Dooley Investigates - Fashion's Dirty Secrets
• Erica's manifesto for moving away from fast fashion
• Marks & Spencer, one of Erica's long term brand partners
• How Erica explains her sponsored work to her audience
• My paid partnership post with Starbucks (ad)
• Brene Brown
• Erica's Instagram
• Product placement in Katy Perry's videos - check out the pointlessly gratuitous logo belt and glasses shots in the club scene!
• Erica's Blog

Pre Order my book UK / US / Australia

My upcoming Live book events

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Things we talk about in this episode: * What is Pinterest, and why you should be using it * Advice and top tips on how to get the best out of Pinterest for your business * Updates on new Pinterest tools * How to organise or repurpose your boards * An introduction to Pinterest Themes * The joy of planning your pins and boards * Using Pinterest as a visual search engine * Why you should upgrade to a business account

Links mentioned in this episode: * Lauren Laverne on Pinterest * Pinterest 100 - The top trends for 2019 * Talonted Lex * Pinterest best Practice blog post * Carrie - Wish Wish Wish * Ifttt - Connecting Pinterest to Instagram * Zoe's Pinterest board * Reena's Pinterest board

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Things we talk about in this episode:

Anna's new book - An Edited Life

How Anna got started online

How our favourite platform online can change and evolve

The importance of following your interests

How Anna built an audience that has grown and evolved with her

The importance of planning and structure when managing your social media accounts

How to do YouTube if you're camera-shy

Dealing with critical comments/reviews

Anna's epic organisation skills, and how we can all be a bit more like her

The importance of reflection and celebrating our achievements, instead of always chasing the next big goal

Where to draw the line with what to share online, and how we can all find our own comfort zone with it

The magic of following your gut instincts

Whether everyone has a guilty messy place, like 'Monica's Cupboard' in FRIENDS.

Links mentioned in this episode:

An Edited Life - Anna's book

Free organisation worksheets on Anna's site

Anna's recent video on her work organisation techniques

At Home With - Anna's podcast with Lily Pebbles

RescueTime productivity App

Marie Kondo

Pre Order my book UK / US / Australia

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Things we talk about in this episode: * Laura's new book - Just Eat It * Laura's career path and journey to Intuitive Eating, and how podcasting shaped her career * Defining 'diet culture' why it's unhealthy for you, and it's relationship with the patriarchy * Challenging BMI negativity, and why it's a poor indicator of risks to health and disease * Laura defines Intuitive Eating, and it's physical and mental health benefits * How to spot bad nutrition advice * Busting the myths around diets, 'unhealthy foods' and alternative therapies * The relationship between food and mental health * Dealing with negative responses to her posts

Links mentioned in this episode: * Just Eat It - Laura's book * Don't Salt My Game - Laura's podcast * Laura's Sunday Times interview with Dolly Alderton * The London Centre for Intuitive Eating * Health and Care Professionals Council and The Association for Nutrition * The Angry Chef * Dr Anjali Mahto * Laura's articles - We Need To Talk About 'Refined Sugar Free' & Think You Have a Sugar Addiction? Here's Why Cutting Out Sugar Might Actually Backfire

[* Pre Order my book][1]

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Things we talk about in this episode: * Farrah's new book - The Discomfort Zone * Farrah career path, and the role failure and discomfort have played * The 'London bubble', and why you don't need to be in it to succeed in print media * Breaking down the barriers of starting out in journalism, and the need to diversify the media * The challenges faced by young people today, and the concept of "generation snowflake" * Whether women - or anyone - can ever really 'have it all', or should even want to * Why we all need to have a 'failure CV' * What lies outside of our comfort zone, and why we need to dive into it * The relationship between old and new media, and why Farrah is positive about influencers and bloggers * The creation of the Cosmo Influencer Awards

Links mentioned in this episode:+ The Discomfort Zone - Farrah's book + Farrah's Instagram + My Instagram + My book + The Insta Retreat

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The New Year is a natural time for setting goals, plans and intentions - so why do so few of us wind up making them actually happen? And worse, why do they always feel so grim? This week I chat with stylist and writer Hannah Bullivant about her 'January Book' ritual, how it's helped her in her family and professional life, and how setting kind and compassionate goals for ourselves can lead to the kind of leaps forward that we've often been craving. We also talk about finances, self doubt, launching ebooks and online courses, plus mailing list building and more. Full show notes at meandorla.co.uk/podcast59

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Kate Watson Smyth is a powerhouse in the interiors world. A blogger, journalist, podcaster, author and interiors consultant, Kate has the kind of in-depth knowledge and strength of voice that can only come from years of creativity, hard work and life experience. In this episode she shares her route to where she is today, the importance of tenacity and showing up, and how to carve out your own space online with plenty of her trademark humour, insight and passion.

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Dasha Pears is a conceptual photographer with a unique and magical voice and style. This week Dasha shares how she stays true to her creative voice and delivers value and magic – whether she’s creating for her own pleasure, for her devoted Instagram audience or for one of the brands she works with worldwide. An unmissable episode for anyone at an early stage of building their creative dreams, struggling to find their true style, or who is curious to know about the process behind such incredible, evocative imagery. Full show notes at https://meandorla.co.uk/podcast57-2/

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Public speaking falls outside of the boundaries of the comfort zone for many of us, but is an indispensably valuable skill in many creative careers. In this episode, Viv Groskop, journalist and writer turned stand up comedian, shares the different ways we can show up and truly own the room – without having to compromise on who we truly are.

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Working for yourself can mean years of feast and famine, financially - and nobody seems to mention it. This week I talk to fashion designer turned illustrator Niki Groom, about what makes the difference, sticking with your dreams, and building a secure financial future. Full show notes: https://meandorla.co.uk/podcast55-2-2/

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Comparison and envy can sneak into pretty much any area of our lives, and it's seldom pretty. Comparison coach Lucy Sheridan has made it her life's work - and the focus of her business - to get to the heart of those feelings, and help people live a life free from its clutches. https://meandorla.co.uk/podcast54/

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Neal Whittington is the creative mind behind online stationery wonderland, Present & Correct. I’ve followed him online for a long time not only for his store’s range of glorious paper goods, but because his social media is always a treasure trove of unusual links, on-brand curiosities and visual delights. In this episode we talk about the magic of content curation as well as creation to support and elevate an online brand. Neal shares his tricks for finding shareable content, staying active on social media and creating a unique and instantly recognisable brand. https://meandorla.co.uk/podcast53-2/

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When you don't know what your talent is, with Carly Rowena by Sara Tasker

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My guest this week has spent ten years researching writing, and the psychology of happiness. Author and Academic Megan C Hayes believes the two can be firmly intertwined, and has developed a framework - the Positive Journal® approach - to help anyone pick up a pen and start feeling more positive. In this episode we explore her background online, the psychology and neuro-science behind writing your heart out, and how it can all come together to make magical things unfold.

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Find your why, with Kayte Ferris.

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Syreeta Challinger started her lifestyle brand and online studio, Moments of Sense and Style, following a total upheaval of her and her partner Rob's life. Life changed in a heartbeat when Rob suffered a severe stroke and brain haemorrhage whilst on holiday in Sydney, Australia, miles from home, friends and family. Since then both Syreeta and Rob have had to find a new home, new ways of living and a new sense of purpose in their life together, and M.O.S.S. became the phoenix that emerged from the ashes. Together, with Syreeta's incredible optimism and determination at the helm, they've build a business that is all about light in the darkness and appreciating the beautiful moments in life. I haven't edited Rob's audio for pauses etc, because a) there's nothing wrong with pauses, and b) they show the reality of conversation with a communication impairment, and I think that's something we don't hear enough.

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Instagram gets a lot of criticism for having too much styled content and not enough reality - but sometimes staged, planned imagery can still be heartbreakingly honest. Artist and photographer Carolyn Mara uses her camera and Instagram as  away of working through the difficult parts of her life, and expressing emotions or experiences that are harder to put into words. This week we talk about how she discovered this technique, how it has helped her, and why she believes we all need creativity in order to be whole. Shownotes: https://wp.me/p5XVXq-3ql

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Photographer and videographer Flore has had an eclectic journey through marketing and running an online textile store to the work she does now, and along the way one thing has been essential to her growth: workshops, with other creatives. This has left her with a burning passion to create these types of events herself, to help fellow floundering creatives connect, skill up and develop their ideas to make their big dreams come to fruition. This week we chat about why the difficult business model is still essential, and what we can all gain from being involved.

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How many of us dream of someday writing a book? For this week's episode I sat down with Abigail Bergstrom, head of publishing at Gleam Titles, the forward-thinking literary division of digital-first talent agency Gleam Futures, to grill her all about the inside world of publishing, the future of books, and how online creatives can find a route in to making those book dreams a reality.

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This week I talk to Venice-based food writer and blogger Skye McAlpine. Skye's first cookbook,  'A Table In Venice' came out last month, and represents years of work developing her skills as a cook, writer and photographer through her blog and Instagram account. We unpack the process of writing a book, teaching yourself photography and creating the perfect Sunday lunch.

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My guest this week is Carolyn Stritch, aka The Slow Traveler. She’s a freelance photographer based in the North of England, although her account often depicts dreamy locations from idyllic destinations around the world. She might seem to be living the Instagram dream life, an impression she’s aware of, and wanted to question a little in a recent 'self sabotage' project she staged on her 200k+  Instagram account. I called her up to try and understand more about her motivations, what she learned from it and more about her photography work away from the 'gram.

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Kate Swoboda, aka Kate Courageous, started out as a life coach but found herself consumed by the question of courage. Kate's work and our conversation in this episode looks at courage as it relates to personal development, releasing overwhelm, business and marketing, money mindset, wellness, increasing emotional resilience, and healthy goal-setting using habit-formation techniques.

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Do you ever feel like you've missed the boat on Instagram? 21-year-old Bronte Huskinson has grown her account from 0 to over 30k since early 2017, leading to a book photography business, influencer work, a blog and a strategically planned future writing career.  We first met when she took my Instagram course in late 2016, and so I called her up to talk about how it's never too late and why there's everything still to play for on a platform like Insta. Special shoutout to my budgie Jack who chatters noisily in the background of this episode!  Come and chat with me and Bronte to tell us what you think!

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My guest’s voice might be familiar to some of you. Andrew Johnson has built an empire of apps, combining his background as a clinical hypnotherapist with his love of tech and self proclaimed “Apple fanboy” interests. His soft Scottish accent has been a staple on my iPhone for a number of years now, guiding me through meditations on topics such as anxiety, relaxation, sleep problems and negative thinking. He’s an expert both in his work of meditation and in building an online business, and I was really interested to find out how these two seemingly opposite things might intersect for him. I called him up to talk both about the fascinating model of an app-based business, and about how meditation and mindfulness can help us all be more productive and creative in our own work.

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"You can't underestimate the power of human connection and how you make people feel." Samantha Kelly is an Irish entrepreneur, TED X speaker and Twitter expert. Her first business was creating a pack for girls beginning their period - a brave step in Ireland, where conservative religious values around women's sexual health often still prevail. From there she went on to craft an expertise in social media, and build a network for other women working for themselves looking for support, advice and resources that traditional networking events failed to provide. She shares her wisdom, her outlook and her tips for success in this joyful and candid conversation.

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Charlotte Jacklin took the decision in 2017 to take Betty Magazine from a print publication to an online brand. We talk about jumping before being pushed, being totally unglam on Instagram Stories and the surprising pleasure of Facebook groups.

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If you've ever spent any time on Pinterest, Instagram or reading recipe blogs, you're probably familiar with Beth Kirby's work. What you might not realise is that she built her incredible, unstoppable, heartbreakingly aspirational brand off the back of a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder and a failed marriage with zero photography experience - and she's more than happy to tell you about it! Beth's work has inspired me for a long time, so it was a lot of fun to finally get to chat with her 1 on 1, and share our passion for the world of online community building for anyone who feels like they don't fit in with the norm.

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My guest this week is author and broadcaster Emma Gannon, who has used the internet as a springboard to multi-hyphenated success. Emma’s written for every major publication going. Her first book, Ctrl Alt Delete came out in 2016 to much critical acclaim, and her podcast of the same name has taken the charts by storm ever since. Now finishing work on her second book, we talk today about success, money, multi-hyphenated careers and our shared experiences and observations of carving one out.

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This week I chat with metalsmith and fellow digital marketing nerd Megan Auman. Pinterest is far and away the number one traffic referrer for Megan's jewellery business - so much so that she's gone on to teach classes in her strategies. We talk about all our favourite platforms, the differences between them, and the rare and magical marketing strategies out there that can also be tools for self love.

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"We think our worth is from how hard we burn ourselves into the ground." This week I caught up with my friend and creative coach Jen Carrington for one of the whirlwind conversations we always have when we're together. We both talk fast and dive into tangents, so this is a much more informal natter than the usual 'interview' you might be used to here, but it's jam-packed with insight, experience and hopefully, things to make you nod and smile along. Jen and I also share details towards the end of a very exciting new joint podcast project we have planned for the New Year!

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It's a solo episode this week, and a pretty technical one too, looking at some of the big changes we've seen on Instagram over the past year. In this episode I'll cover a bit of an algorithm update, shoppable photos, what's going on with the 'top 9' hashtag grid, the new features for Stories and Live, and how you can use some of these things to help your account grow.

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My guest this week is author, journalist and storyteller Laura Jane Williams. I first met Laura when we were both presenting at the Blogtacular conference a couple of years back, shortly after the publication of her first book. Since then she's written a second, follow-up memoir and taught the secrets of her storytelling magic at workshops, classes and courses online. She writes with spellbinding beauty across multiple platforms, including the most exquisitely crafted instagram captions, so I called her up to dig into some of her secrets, and get the low down on her journey so far. And in case the opening quote above wasn't enough of a heads up - a warning for occasional adult language in this episode too.

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One of my favourite things about this podcast is that it gives me the excuse to have really interesting conversations with people whose work I adore. This week is the perfect example, and something of a fangirl moment for me, as my guest this week is writer and journalist Jon Ronson.  If you're lucky, you'll all have come across his work already - his books include The Men Who Stare At Goats, The Psychopath Test, So You've Been Publicly Shamed and Frank, some of which have already been adapted into successful movies. His most recent film credit is 'Okja', which came out earlier this year to adoration and critical acclaim. His newest venture is The Butterfly Effect, a podcast series looking at the way the internet has revolutionised one very specific industry, and the lives of a lot of very normal folk along the way.  Watching Jon's work evolve over the last few years I've really been struck by the role the digital world has had to play in it and how at home he is in the digital landscape. I wanted to find out how he felt about the internet, and both the role it plays in his work, and the wider world. Plus, he's just a funny, fascinating person to talk to - and to listen to - so you're in for a treat! Also, as a heads up - this episode has some occasional adult language.

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Nik and I met when we were both presenting on a panel in London a few months back, and I loved what he had to say.   So much of what Nik and I had to say dovetailed together perfectly,  and I immediately knew I needed to bag him for the podcast so you could all soak in some of his wisdom on all things internet, social media and influencer marketing too. In this episode we talk about how Instagram and social media have evolved, and the role influencer marketing has had to play in that. Nik shares some great insight from his experiences of working with brands and agencies, and a heap of key lessons for anyone trying to grow an audience or create content for sales online.

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Dolly Alderton is a writer, author, director and journalist, with a weekly podcast to boot. I met her earlier this year when we were panelists at an event in London alongside Emma Gannon, and I found so much of what she said in her answers really resonated and stayed with me. As you'll hear in the following conversation, she's a witty, self possessed and savvy woman, living the dream as a freelance writer & creative in London. Her first book, Everything I Know About Love, is out in the Spring, and so I called her up to find out how she got to that milestone, what wisdom she's learned along the way, and whether she'd like to be my new best friend how she juggles so many dynamic projects at once. Also, a heads up that there's some marvellous adult language scattered throughout this episode .

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Tara Swiger is a coach for people who make or create products they're passionate about, helping them to build profitable businesses. Her episode on finding your right people is one of my all time favourites I've recorded so far, so I invited her back on to tackle some of the issues I hear about again and again from people in our community here - specifically, how to sell ourselves without feeling awful, and dealing with vulnerability. Tara always brings incredible value to everything she does, and I promise this episode will uplift, inspire and fill you with enthusiasm for selling your work.

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One subject we've touched upon in previous episodes, and that I see coming up again and again with the people who take my courses or the women I mentor is this issue: 'what do I call myself?' In this week's mini episode, I'm sharing why I encourage everyone to take themselves and their work seriously, and not shy away from the big job titles of our dreams.

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Fiona Humberstone empowers entrepreneurs to create powerful brands. A bestselling author and fearless entrepreneur, we met, somewhat randomly, on a ship in the Thames earlier this summer, where I was struck by her insight,  enthusiasm and warmth. I called her up to give us all a crash course in branding, colour psychology and what it can offer our creative work and businesses.

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This week's episode is a bit of a fangirl moment for me -  Hadley Freeman, author, journalist and Guardian columnist is somebody whose writing and wisdom has inspired me for a number of years. She kindly gave me some of her time to talk about her career path, sharing your opinions for a living, and dealing with feedback from commenters and twitter trolls alike.  Also, just a heads up that there's some adult language in this episode.

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Influencer marketing - endorsement by popular 'real people' like bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTubers barely existed four years ago. I can remember googling for agencies as I waited to quit my day job, and finding only a handful, mainly in the States. Repeat that search now and you'll find 100s, all promising to link businesses with the biggest and most influential names on social media - all for a price. A few weeks ago, Instagram introduced a new system for declaring sponsored content. Off the back of this, I wrote a post tackling the rules & regulations governing sponsored content and freebies for influencers, and Instagram's new guidance for disclosing this.  Whether you're an influencer, a small business or even just an avid browser of social media, these rules affect us all, and are not always easy to follow. I got in touch with Pete Lewin from Purewal and Partners in London, to get into the nitty gritty, and hear a clued up professional's take on where it's all heading.

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Sas Petherick is a coach specialising in helping women overcome self doubt and find their self belief. She is someone who has taught me huge amounts, both personally and professionally, and before we'd even finished recording our episode together in Season 1 I knew I needed to bring her back for another this time around. I called her up to talk about an issue that I suspect is close to lots of our hearts - that worry about what other people will think of us. I was hoping to get Sas to cure me of this altogether, but her answers to the problem are not quite what you might expect...

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Tara Mohr is a columnist, coach, writer and speaker who helps women live to their full potential and find their own personal fulfilment. Her book, Playing Big was recommended to me by Jen Carrington, and I was so inspired by its wisdom, wit and uncommon common sense that I immediately knew you all needed to hear from her, too.

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This week on Hashtag Authentic, it's just me! For this solo episode, I'm chatting about some of the reasons why your audience has either stopped growing, or why you've plateaued. We are fortunate to have an online creative community that allows us instant gratification , i.e. feedback, and this sort of social media interaction be used as an amazing tool for either gaining or losing followers. In this, I also list 10 tips for refining your content to hit the mark each and every time.

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I know I seem to say this every week, but author and illustrator Helen Stephens is truly one of my very best friends. She's also brilliantly successful, with her books for children winning multiple awards, being adapted for stage, featured on BBC Children's television and appearing on the shelves of millions of happy children worldwide.

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I first met Julia of Humphrey & Grace (nee @JuliaBesideTheSea) at a rooftop party on London hosted by Instagram. We've followed one another for years - four of them, to be exact - and I've seen her account grow from its early days to the massive 200k following she enjoys today. We caught up for a natter, and our chat covers changing your Instagram username, dealing with imitation and copying, the dreaded algorithm, calling yourself a photographer and oh so much more.

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"Creating for Good is a London based collective of creatives who use their passions and skills to make a difference in the lives of women, men and families affected by war, political discord and poverty. " With a combined following of over 1.2 million. Through workshops, photo walks and individual tutoring we give 100% of all proceeds to charitable organizations which focus on providing skills to empower marginalized people and communities to secure a more sustainable future." I talk to Giulia, Jo, Elena, Jessica and Sarka from the team, to find out how it got started and what they've learned along the way.

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Julia from Stylonylon is a journalist-turned-fashion blogger. I called her up to find out about how she sees blogging fitting into the world of journalism, and what skills she’s brought over for communicating directly with her audience. We also talk about podcasting, self-taught photography and the power of owning your own audience in this episode.

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This week it's the Q&A I promised, and I'm diving into the questions you all sent my way. I cover blogging, Instagram, social media and getting everything done, plus lots of extra things in between. Sidetone - apologies for the glitches in audio quality this week. I didn't realise my settings were off until after recording, and didn't have time to redo it! Lesson learned. Done is better than perfect anyway, right?

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Janet Murray is a freelance journalist turned PR-queen. She's passionate about PR and publicity being accessible to everyone, and shares insider knowledge of how to get press and media coverage for your business or blog, without selling out. In this episode she shares her top tips for getting featured, and why it matters more than you might think.

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Today I am joined by Sally Gurteen, aka the Cafe Cat. Sally is a social media manager whose past clients include Caffe Nero, Selfridges, Lindt and many more, where she’s been responsible for blogger outreach, social media campaigns and sponsored content with influencers on Instagram and beyond. I asked her to come onto the podcast to give the inside scoop on the whole process - what brands are thinking, what they’re looking for, what turns them off. So if you’re an influencer, or thinking you’d quite like to become an influencer, this is essential information - and it’s equally useful if you have a business or are considering using influencer marketing at some point in future.

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Jen Carrington is a coach for big-hearted creative business owners based in Manchester, UK. We first met when she was launching her coaching business and I was looking to take my blog a bit more seriously, and three years down the line we've both learned and grown an awful lot. In this episode we reflect on the lessons that business and money have taught us both, and Jen shares the secrets of structuring a working week for the self employed.

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“Anything that has ever changed your life - that person had to stop being afraid of self promotion. They had to pitch the book agent, they had to write promotional tweets, they had to work with a PR agency and talk themselves up. That's the reality of putting yourself out there." Sarah Von Bargen is a writer and teacher who’s been blogging for nearly a decade at Yes and Yes. In that time she has travelled the world, created ebooks, ecourses, appsand more, and been featured in places like Forbes.com, Lifehacker, Problogger and Glamour. And she says she only really started trying quite recently! She is a living gold mine of wit and wisdom, and in this episode we talk about two topics that are close to her heart. Intentionality – in our online actions, and in our spending too.

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Xanthe Berkeley is a photographer and videographer with a penchant for stop-frame photography and cheerful colour. A a self-confessed 'project fountain', she's able to chart her own creative and professional development by the projects and assignments she has embraced along the way. By the end of this episode I defy anyone to not want to find their own new initiative, and follow in Xanthe's footsteps creating for pleasure and passion without caring about the response.

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Kat Molesworth is a blogger, photographer and vlogger, and founder of Blogtacular, an annual UK conference for bloggers and online creative folk. She is also a font of knowledge on all things blogging and internet related, so I wanted to get her take on the future of blogging, and whether or not it’s really important for online creatives.

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Sas Petherick is a UK-based coach who specialises in helping women experiencing self doubt. I first met her through Instagram a year ago, and was struck by how much insight and wisdom she could drop into the most incidental moments of casual conversation. She also makes me laugh until it hurts. For anyone who's ever felt like an imposter in their own career, or like their self doubt is holding them back in life, this episode is essential listening. I think you're going to love it.

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Hannah Argyle has over 200k followers on Instagram, as well as a successful lifestyle blog and partnerships with a heap of big name brands. I called her up for this episode to get the scoop on how she balances motherhood, the expectations of her Instagram audience and her own creative desires.

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This episode is 'mailing list 101', for people who don't have one, people who think they don't need one, or for people who have one but aren't doing anything about it...

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This week I talk to US-based business coach Tara Swiger about the importance of creating for your right people on instagram and beyond, and why finding them is the secret to achieving your dreams online.

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With over 66k followers on instagram, Jono Smart says about 90% of his business comes via the platform in one form or another. His signature minimalist designs can sell out in a matter of hours, and he’s now in demand across the world as a contemporary potter. I called him up for a chat about sales, keeping a healthy Instagram mindset, future-proofing his business, instagram as a creative 'gateway drug', & his frank online sharing of living with Bipolar disorder.

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'Comparison is the thief of joy'. We've all heard, read or pinned it on Pinterest, but how can we keep our worry about other people's success in perspective, and avoid falling into the comparison trap? This week I share lessons I've learned about learning from our envy at other people's achievements, and how to handle the fear of failure when it hits.

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This week I chat with Dominique, better known as AllThatIsShe on Instagram. In the last 12 months she has gained over 100k followers from scratch, simply by sharing her uniquely beautiful, fresh and innovative content. We talk about how she did it, finding a balance when sharing her family life, and her go-to photo staples for Instagram success.

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This week I'm talking with Instagram royalist, Philippa Stanton of 5ftinf. With over 460k followers, Philippa was a pioneer of the whole flatlay movement with her colourful 'domestic foraging' shot at her kitchen table. We talk about the early days of Instagram, authenticity, staying fresh and creative, and following our obsessions - wherever they may take us. Find show notes at meandorla.co.uk/podcast3

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How can you get more Instagram followers without having to resort to shady tactics? Is it still possible to grow just by using honest engagement and great content? I'm sharing the 5 deceptively simple strategies I've used to grow my account to 152k that can work for everybody, right now.

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Why do you seem to lose followers every day on Instagram no matter what you do? In this episode, we look at this tactic people use to grow their accounts - why they do it, what it means, and why ultimately, it's a bad idea for your Instagram account.